Best Soccer Ball Designs of the Last 10 Years

It all starts with the ball. Lionel Messi might be an incredible player, but take away his football and he'll be just another guy. 

Ball designs have come a long way since Charles Goodyear created vulcanised rubber, and then the first football to use this technology in 1855.

The designs are now a constant race between manufacturers to be the most hi-tech, sometimes with great effect and sometimes with controversy. The 2010 World Cup saw the introduction of the Adidas Jabulani, which became the nemesis of many goalkeepers due to its unpredictable swerve in the air.

That ball doesn't make this list, precisely for that reason. Read on to find out which ones rank among the best of the last 10 years.

5. Nike Maxim, 2012

The Nike Maxim features Nike RaDaR (Rapid Decision and Response) technology, which allow players to spot the ball against all backgrounds and make adjustments accordingly.

The secret is in the pattern, which breaks away from traditional designs to offer sharp contrasts in colour around the ball, making the edges more defined during the game.

Nike's Geo II Balanced Technology is designed to create a consistent response from the ball, no matter where it is struck.

Introduced for the 2012/13 Premier League season—as well as featuring in La Liga and Serie A—the ball has already been at the centre of some fantastic football matches.

4. Adidas Teamgeist, 2006

The Teamgeist, or "+Teamgeist", to use its trademarked name, was a major innovation in football technology when introduced to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Made up of 14 panels rather than 32, the new ball promised to be the roundest ball ever seen, featuring bonded—not stitched—panels and an almost totally waterproof exterior.

This enabled the ball to retain both its shape and weight, as it would remain unaffected by bad weather and perform consistently for the duration of a game.

After the World Cup, it was adopted by the MLS until 2010, after which it replaced by the Jabulani.

3. Mitre Meteor Pro, 2005

Featuring a pleasingly retro design, the Mitre Meteor harks back to the days of Mitre's domination of the football market.

Maybe I'm biased because it reminds me of entire weekends spent out in the pouring rain, fighting for a "next goal wins" victory before the light gave out, but I genuinely think this is one of the best football designs ever.

While writing this article, I absent-mindedly found myself searching for 2005 Meteor balls for sale. Bear in mind that I've got two terrible knees and an athletic ability that's declining by the second. That's how much I think of this ball.

2. Adidas Fevernova, 2002

When a football design finds its way into New Scientist magazine, you know that it's going to offer something special.

Such was the case in 2002, when Adidas introduced the Fevernova for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Almost as exciting as going to the pub at 7a.m. GMT to watch football, the Fevernova boasted a textile mesh under the standard foam and polymer coating to allow it remain spherical in flight.

When speaking to New Scientist, Adidas' Gunther Pfau said that "this ball is 25 per cent more precise and 10 per cent faster than Tricolore, the 1998 match ball." He went on to state that it could reach speeds of up to 130km/h.

Pfau's statement will have made free kick specialists happy across the world.

1. Adidas Wawa Aba

Adidas came up with another winner here, this time for the African Cup of Nations. The Wawa Aba combined technological innovation with striking looks, featuring the national colours of Ghana, the host nation.

The name Wawa Aba came from a symbol of persistence in Akan culture, which holds a deep significance to the people of Western Africa, symbolising strength and community in the face of adversity.

It's not often that a ball manufacturer uses a tournament as an opportunity to truly do something special, not just update an existing design. The Wawa Aba was immediately one of the most recognisable balls in football history and remains just as iconic today.

It was the first time a ball had been designed for the African Cup of Nations, and it remains the best. 

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